The previous winners were mezzo-soprano Anna Starushkevych (2013) and
soprano Galina Averina (2015). Bampton Classical Opera has a reputation for
its commitment to young talent and a number of singers who have appeared on
the Bampton stage have gone on to work with national companies such as The
Royal Opera, English National Opera and Opera North.
The first round of the Bampton Classical Opera Young Singers’ Competition
2017 (closed sessions) will take place on 28 and 29 October in London. The
public final will take place in the Holywell Music Room, Oxford, on Sunday
19 November at 6pm. Judges for the competition will be two renowned British
singers: tenor Bonaventura Bottone and mezzo-soprano Jean Rigby.
Competitors can apply by downloading an application form and information
document from www.bamptonopera.org or on
request by emailing ysc@bamptonopera.org
Applications opened on 1 March 2017 and the entry deadline is 11 August
2017.
First prize £1,500 – Second prize £500. For the first time there will also
be a £500 Accompanists’ Prize.
The winner of the first Young Singers’ Competition in 2013 was Ukrainian
mezzo-soprano Anna Starushkevych and British soprano Rosalind Coad was the
runner-up.
Since then Anna Starushkevych performed the role of Erato in Gluck’s
Il Parnaso confuso
and the title role in Bertoni’s Orfeo (UK premiËre) for Bampton
Classical Opera, both during summer 2014. In summer 2015 she sang the role
of Ofelia in Salieri’s
La grotta di Trofonio
, also for the company. She is one of the soloists on a new Resonus
Classics CD of song cycles by Pavel Haas, including the world premiËre
recording of Fata Morgana. Later this year Anna will sing the role of
Matilda in Handel’s Ottone at both the Beaune Festival and Theater
an der Wien.
Rosalind Coad was a Scottish Opera Emerging Artist from 2014-15 and sang a
number of roles for the company. Currently she is covering the role of
MÈlisande in PellÈas et MÈlisande for Scottish Opera. Other
performances have included Gianetta (L’Elisir d’Amore) and
Clotilde (Norma) for Opera Holland Park. She sang the role of
Daughter in the Bampton Classical Opera concert performance of Maurice
Greene’s
Jephtha
in 2014.
In the Young Singers’ Competition 2015 Russian soprano Galina Averina won
first prize and Welsh soprano CÈline Forrest was the runner-up.
Since the competition Galina Averina sang the role of Atalanta ( Serse) for English Touring Opera in 2016. She is currently singing
Pamina for Mid-Wales Opera, and will be performing at the London Handel
Festival. She will be taking part in the young artists programme at this
year’s Aix-en-Provence Festival and will return to English Touring Opera
for next season’s autumn and spring tours.
CÈline Forrest studied at the National Opera Studio in 2015/2016. Her opera
training took her to Opera North and Welsh National Opera, where she worked
with Graham Vick and Elaine Kidd. Recently she covered the role of Jessica
in Welsh National Opera’s The Merchant of Venice by Tchaikowsky.
She is currently working on the role of Mina in Verdi’s Aroldo for
UCOpera.
This competition is open UK residents aged between 21 and 32 on 19
November, 2017.
image=http://www.operatoday.com/Anna%20Starushkevych.jpg
image_description=
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product_title=Bampton Classical Opera Young Singers’ Competition 2017
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product_id=Above: Anna Starushkevych